After writing my last garden post and bit of plea on social media, I received some amazing help. First my Aunt Heidi responded with some helpful tips. Then my friend Katie offered to come over in person and help me using the tools that she and her husband use in their own garden.
Her coming to help me was real mitzvah because we worked hard on the garden together for about two hours. Also Tuesday, when she came to help, was fairly warm and humid morning. She brough her own shuffle hoes (among other tools). She brough both the electric model and a non-electric model. Now I understand better what I can do in future if I allow the garden to get this weedy again, which I hope I don’t do in the future, but I understand that sometimes life happens.
Check out my before and after pictures!
I also received some help from my county’s local Extension Office.
Pennsylvania residents, I would like to do a quick commercial for your local Penn State Extension Garden Hotline. Here is the link to my county’s contact information for gardening questions. I am fairly certain that you might have a similar answering service from your area’s Extension Office. I decided to send an email asking a question to the aforementioned service at 11:17 am last Friday; by 10:06 am Saturday morning, I had a helpful response from Jean, Master Gardener. I was impressed by how quickly and thoroughly Jean responded to my question.
Jean told me that after clearing the garden I should cover it in wet newspaper and then cover it with a layer of leaves for the winter.
In a few weeks, I will gather some leaves at the park and bring them home to cover my garden. Then I will be ready to try gardening again next spring!
Yay! Thanks to Katie, Jean, and Aunt Heidi! I feel so loved and cared for.
Uncle Jim wants to add-your hands are great tools for pulling weeds in garden- especially after a good rain and time plant garlic is when the baseball playoffs begin! Your garden looks great and that’s great advice about the newspaper covered in leaves.
Thank you Aunt Heidi and thank you Uncle Jim! Hands are good tools. I just tried to do this weeding last time in July and after that experience I was like “maybe there is a better way” but honestly Katie and I did use our hands and pulled a lot too. Katie especially, I don’t know if I addressed how grateful I am for her help! Thank you both as well.